Look at us now

[WitchHazel 2]

HI All

 

On January 1st I sent a simple message "Happy 2015 xxx Hazel" to 14 people.

 

I've just looked at my monile phone bill and am horrified to find that I have been charge 33p+VAT for each message, despite being on an inclusive plan.

 

The reason is that group texts are converted to MMS (multi media messages), and these are not included in my plan.

 

My phone, a Galaxy Note 3, has a default setting which converts "group texts" to individual MMS messages.

 

Apparently this is the case with many smart phones.... so you might want to check your settings so you don't get caught.

 

For Galazy Note 3 users: (1) click on the Messages app, (2) From the home page, press the menu buttonans select SETTINGS (3)From the menu across the top click on the SMS/MMS tab, (4) check whether your GROUP MESSAGING is ticked. If it is, sending a message to more than one recipient means wit will be converted to MMS.

[kissinuk 0]

Are you sure you didn't include any emoticons? I use a Samsung S4 and only just noticed that I get charged 30p for any text that uses them. They get converted to MMS messages due to not being standard text. However.. My wife has an iPhone (also on O2) and she doesn't get charged.

[Ain't Nobody Here 4]

I've been caught out like that when sending a long text that converted to MMS when I got to a certain number of characters.

 

I've not been charged for group texts before though . Not that I send them often!

[WitchHazel 2]

Are you sure you didn't include any emoticons? I use a Samsung S4 and only just noticed that I get charged 30p for any text that uses them. They get converted to MMS messages due to not being standard text. However.. My wife has an iPhone (also on O2) and she doesn't get charged.

 

No, definitely no emoticons. Literally the message was Happy 2015 xxxx love Hazel

 

It was becaise my phone's message app had a default setting to convert texts to multiple recipient I found the setting on my phone which tells it to convert messages for more than one recipient to MMS.

 

Looking online, I am not alone. Many, many, many irate customers in the same boat as me.

[The Dogmother 581]

I have a Galaxy S3 Mini and have looked in my settings, no such option on my phone, but it does have an options (which is selected) the warn me when it converts to MMS. I have also set the MMS creation option to 'restricted' so that I can't inadvertently send one.

[WitchHazel 2]

I have a Galaxy S3 Mini and have looked in my settings, no such option on my phone, but it does have an options (which is selected) the warn me when it converts to MMS. I have also set the MMS creation option to 'restricted' so that I can't inadvertently send one.

 

Clare, I did a quick Google specifically for the S3, and this is what I found (the original page had lots of chat on, so this is the pertinent bit):

 

A note for people it seems that Android 4.3 installs with Group Messaging as MMS option enabled HOWEVER, the box remains un-ticked. In order to go back to the pre-4.3 single SMS sent multiple times you have to tick the Group messaging option, back out, then go back into settings and then un-tick group messaging under MMS.... Thanks Google that cost me a few £ before I noticed. – user49108 Dec 23 '13 at 18:26

 

This is a screenshot that was included in an earlier part of the discussion to show where the setting was, just in case it is familar to you:

 

The full discussion was here http://android.stackexchange.com/questions/58707/send-sms-instead-of-mms-when-texting-multiple-people

[The Dogmother 581]

Thanks Hazel, I don't have that group option in my MMS settings at all